Abayomi Susan
The Imole Campaign Council (TICC), the campaign platform supporting the re-election bid of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has raised concerns over an alleged plot to arrest 46 of its members ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The council, in a statement issued in Osogbo on Sunday, alleged that there were plans to target key opposition figures through what it described as “trumped-up charges” in an attempt to weaken its campaign structure and intimidate supporters.
Speaking with journalists, Deputy Director-General of TICC, Kolapo Alimi, alleged that the purported scheme involved moving some opposition leaders to Abuja under false accusations.
He described the alleged move as an “old strategy” aimed at disrupting political activities, discouraging voters and creating fear ahead of the election.
According to Alimi, intelligence available to the council suggested that some individuals were allegedly working with compromised security personnel to monitor, intimidate and target political stakeholders in Ikire and other parts of the state.
He mentioned individuals identified as Ola Abbas, Adeboye Opeyemi and a person known as “General”, alleging that they had been seen operating alongside security personnel.
The council also raised concerns over the alleged involvement of an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abbas, accusing him of engaging in activities outside the mandate of the organisation.
Alimi alleged that such actions amounted to abuse of office and a violation of citizens’ rights, warning that security agencies must remain professional, neutral and committed to protecting all citizens regardless of political affiliation.
TICC called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Commandant-General of the NSCDC to intervene by directing relevant security formations, including the Osun State Police Command, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), and special units deployed from Abuja, to ensure that no citizen is subjected to unlawful arrest or harassment.
The council also urged the authorities to investigate the allegations involving the named individuals and review the deployment of security personnel in Osun ahead of the election to ensure professionalism and neutrality.
The campaign council further condemned the reported arrest of one of its stakeholders, Mr. Taofeek Akinyemi, by officers of the Osun State Police Command and the SCID on Saturday, August 1.
Alimi claimed that Akinyemi had previously survived a violent attack in Ikire, where he was reportedly shot by suspected thugs at his shop opposite DCool Hotel before being taken to the hospital by police officers.
The council demanded his immediate release, or that he be charged before a competent court if there were any legitimate allegations against him.
However, the Osun State Police Command dismissed the claims of a targeted arrest list, insisting that its operations were focused solely on criminal activities and not political groups or individuals.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command had been conducting raids on criminal hideouts and black spots as part of efforts to maintain security ahead of the election.
According to him, the police do not operate any list targeting individuals or political actors, stressing that operations are based on existing criminal intelligence and records.
“We are raiding black spots and criminal hideouts every day to sanitise the environment for the forthcoming election. These operations are not targeted at any individual, group or political party,” Ojelabi said.
He urged parents and guardians to advise young people to avoid criminal associations and activities that could expose them to police investigations.
The police spokesperson added that a proposed joint security task force involving relevant stakeholders would further enhance election security if implemented, noting that security operations should not be left to the police alone.
